Shopping near the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Barneys sets the prodigious record for housing the most progressive, conceptual and hard-to-find labels in the city. You'll find Balenciaga and Commes des Garcons; Lanvin, Azzedine Alaia and Dries van Noten. The ground floor offers an excellent selection of accessories such as Hermes watches, Pucci scarves and an in-store shop from Parisian luggage company Goyard, while the shoe department hosts almost every Manolo Blahnik on over (as well as a range of pairs from Miu Miu, Christian Louboutin and Lanvin).

This cozy boutique accepts only high-end designers, so dig out your Pucci, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs, but leave anything with the letters H and M at home. Make sure your threads are in pristine condition (cleaned, sans stains and rips). Your duds have a 90-day shelf life, and you’ll get 50 percent of the selling price.

You needn't be a budding Martha Stewart to get your creative juices flowing at this DIY haven. The five-story second Manhattan outpost (the first is on the Upper West Side) offers foolproof crafts that any age or skill level can master. Decorate your own prebaked chocolate or vanilla cake ($24–$48) with fondant shapes, edible glitter, embellishments ($1–$5) and spray coloring in a motorized rotating booth, or make a scented candle ($20–$70) and then watch it take form at the Skinny Dip, a flowing wax-cooling river. Buy a yearly membership ($36) and you can paint ceramics ($12–$120), bead jewelry ($12–$45), create scented soap ($8–$24), or make functional glassware such as trivets, vases and coasters ($22–$99) whenever you’d like (otherwise, it’s $12 for a one-day pass). Those who don’t want to get their hands dirty can have a pro apply glitter tattoos ($5) and hair feathers ($6) at a station on the first floor, or hit the retail area to pick up quirky gifts such as Seedling Design Your Own Superhero Cape kits ($40).

Founded by British trichologist Mark Constantine in 1995, this cruelty-free beauty brand opens its fifth NYC store (the others are in Union Square, Soho, Midtown West, and on the Upper West Side). Chalkboard walls and blond-wood cabinets filled with natural bath and body products—many of them vegan—make the small space feel like a modern kitchen. In an effort to avoid using preservatives, nearly half of the offerings are sold in solid form, including fizzing bath bombs ($4–$7), fragrant soap slabs ($6–$9) and deodorant bars ($7–$9). Liquid items, such as Fair Trade honey shampoos ($10–$30) and Dream Cream olive-oil-and-cocoa-butter body creams ($27), are packaged in 100-percent-recycled pots and bottles. Sampling is encouraged, most noticeably at the Fresh skin-care bar, where staffers provide complimentary facials using the handmade face masks ($7) that are displayed on ice. Don’t leave without testing the small assortment of cosmetics, including liquid lipsticks, cream eye shadows and translucent powder ($19 each).

Classical music greets visitors at this whimsical boutique, where co-owner Michael Walter peddles dazzling dried-flower arrangements, including decorative spheres ($24–$45) made from berries and heather in short green vases ($210), alongside antiques for both the home and garden. Etched hurricane vases ($36) and rustic tole lanterns ($50) will lend a hint of the outdoors to any abode, while antique garden tools ($30) double as creative decor. If your small apartment calls for equally diminutive home accents, opt for miniature ceramic vases (five for $36) in assorted shapes.

Boston consignment chain Second Time Around sets up its second NYC location on the Upper East Side, catering to the hood with brands such as Dior, YSL and Louis Vuitton. Stop by to peruse the upscale treasures or to unload some designer cast offs of your own. Second Time Around's hi-tech take on consigning allows you to check the status of your wares online, or you can opt to receive a text message when your stuff sells. On a recent trip we spotted Chanel logo booties ($200–$300), YSL blazers ($300–$440), Walter blouses ($100) and fur coats (from $350). The shop also regularly receives brand new overstock from Bloomingdale’s, so it pays to check back regularly.

Sure, you can pick up a tome about the museum’s current exhibition of lighting designer Ingo Maurer’s lamps, but the design-focused arm of the Smithsonian thankfully carries much more than just souvenirs. In what was once Andrew Carnegie’s wood-lined library, you’ll now find brilliant wares such as a USB memory stick encased in a twig ($89), Lady de Lacey stainless steel cuff bracelets ($135) and graceful letterpress cards ($24) created by Maryland Institute of Art M.F.A. students.

Glamour and luxury prevail at the second NYC location of this swanky women’s boutique. Owner Alison Brettschneider, a former personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman, opened the first location on the Upper East Side as a pop-up in 2010, and has since expanded with spots in the Hamptons and northern Long Island. Located on the ground floor of the posh Mark Hotel, this 1,000-square-foot space is inspired by a Parisian boudoir, with a classy all-gray palette, velvet seating and a crystal chandelier. Discover exclusive designer finds, such as Nha Khanh lace dresses ($1,198), Matthew Williamson cropped fur jackets with jewels ($4,195) and Suno neon peplum tops ($295). Fancy accessories include Nada Saya skull-detailed leather bags ($3,180) and Lucien Pellat Finet reversible cashmere hats ($450).

We could easily spend a day at this Sutton Place triple threat, which features a high-end boutique, full-service spa and café over two expansive floors. The fun starts downstairs at the ritzy spa, which offers basic manicures and pedicures ($25–$40) amped up by Chanel and Christian Dior polish, medical-grade facial peels ($175–$225), laser hair removal ($95–$695) and private slate-tiled showers to rinse off in after your Swedish massage ($135). Though you can have the Continental bistro fare served at the upstairs eatery delivered to you in the elegant spa lounge, we prefer to fuel up on our spinach salads with figs and feta ($12) and sesame ginger chicken wraps ($14) in the long dining room with plush leather benches. Decadent desserts like the Oreo cheesecake ($6) might be tempting, but you’ll want to steer clear if you intend to fit into the sexy looks sold in the super-sleek adjacent women’s boutique. Nearly all of the contemporary designer pieces are big-night-out-appropriate, like Olive Olivia embellished silk tops ($160), J.J. Winters crocodile leather clutches ($168) and Givanno studded platform pumps ($170), and you can’t go wrong with the solid collection of LBDs from labels like Issue ($350) and Faith Connexion ($200). Top off your new look with costume jewelry displayed on shelves in the back, where you’ll discover statement pieces such as killer green onyx cocktail rings ($127).